


nargles in the mistletoe

by tragicamente



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Christmas, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-28
Updated: 2013-09-28
Packaged: 2017-12-27 20:30:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/983272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tragicamente/pseuds/tragicamente
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for a Harry Potter Christmas Prompt in 2007. Just a short, fluffy story.</p>
<p>1-Fandom: Harry Potter, Neville/Luna, during OOTP, HBP or post-DH, Christmas-themed involving some mishap with nargles/mistletoe.</p>
            </blockquote>





	nargles in the mistletoe

It’s nearing the end of term, and Neville can feel it. The weariness in his bones, the small tugging feeling of holiday enticingly close but still so far away. He swears it was never this hard to be in lessons when he was a student. Especially as none of the students seem capable to listen to directions, as another girl gets stung by plant she is supposed to be handling with dragon hide gloves and he has to rush her to the hospital wing.

The only thing keeping him from collapsing from exhaustion is the weekly letters he receives from all his friends. Teaching is fantastic, and Neville loves being at Hogwarts, feeling the history ( _his_ history) thrum and quiver beneath its stones, but he misses being here as a student. Even though his student days were filled with red remembralls and fear of being bullied, he can’t help but think of them fondly as the years he grew into _someone_. The years he met Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Luna. Luna is the one he still sees now with startling regularity, it soon came about that she had a knack for architectural magic and therefore was employed to reconstruct parts of the school. 

Hogwarts is now the proud owner of several winding staircases and eccentric rooms that will be there one day and not the next. The students love it, of course. He’s expecting her today, actually, and when class is dismissed he’s still got a few hours before she arrives. She never gives a reason for visiting, and this is the first time she’s ever given any warning. Usually she turns up, carrot earrings swinging wildly as she runs to meet him (always late), wearing a pair of bright yellow glasses that have blue feathers sticking out the side that flap half-heartedly every time she tilts her head. 

Neville has a garden on the school grounds, by the lake that has small sections frozen over with ice. It’s where he’s experimenting growing some new plants. He spends so much time in the greenhouses nowadays it’s nice to spend some time outdoors. He’s also taken to strolling through the Forbidden Forest (no longer as intimidating as it used to be) searching for unfamiliar mosses or plants he can add to his catalogue.

He’s got his arms half buried in the soil, trying to pull out a particularly nasty weed that has taken to coiling itself around his fingers when he tries to work when Luna turns up. Her hair is loose and comes down to her waist now; she’s still wearing the glasses and a bright pink headband. 

”Hullo.” Neville says, still struggling as the weed is now employing sets of miniature teeth as a defensive strategy.

“Hi.” Luna says, sounding vague and already looking off into the distance. She waves a little bit in another direction and Neville wonders if she’s greeting the Thestrals that still inhabit the school grounds. She turns her focus back onto him just as he manages to get the weed out with a triumphant ‘ah-ha!’ that sends him sprawled onto his back, still wrestling with the thing.

Luna lazily stuns it with a small flick of her wand and inspects it as Neville dusts himself off, getting back to his feet.

“Hmm. This might be good against the nargles.” She says, picking it up and giving it a shake, “they could fight each other.”

Neville doesn’t laugh or really comment much besides a non-committal noise because he’s got used to Luna, used to her eccentric beliefs and appearance and he even enjoys it, it adds a bit more excitement to the world they see around them. Besides, if magic can exist, why can’t nargles?

Luna doesn’t divulge why she’s here, or what her plans are so Neville, unsure of what to do with her as always, asks her to assist with his school duties.

She helps him set up decorations around the castle: fake snow, mistletoe, garlands that change colour every time someone walks past. The hours trundle by and waves of students pass, each time stopping to talk to Professor Longbottom, just to chat or ask a question. Luna continues to decorate during these times, occasionally sending a flurry of snow over the students as they pass.

The evening rolls round and the castle is bright and festive, music playing from the great hall and Neville imagines the house elves in the kitchen working away at the dinner. He smiles to himself and when he turns to ask Luna something she’s only a few centimetres away, blue eyes wide and questioning.

“You know…” she starts, not backing down or blinking, “we’ve been under mistletoe all day and you haven’t once tried to kiss me.”

Neville is taken aback and his heart stutters in his chest. “Uh…was I supposed to?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.”

Neville isn’t really sure how to go about this, but he’s saved the trouble because Luna puckers her lips, tugs on his hair and kisses him. Her lips are soft and she tastes like eggnog and, despite the strange circumstances, Neville thinks it’s one of the best kisses he’s ever had. He pulls back a little breathless, a huge smile on his face. Luna looks exactly like Luna always looks, except the glasses are now a little skewed.

“So, uh, do you want to go get a drink?” Neville asks, thinking of warm butterbeer and snow tapping softly on the windows.

“I’d like that,” Luna replies and as they’re walking out her hand finds his. Neville looks down in wonder at their hands entwined and squeezes ever so softly. The wings on Luna’s glasses flap happily and she begins to hum under her breath. Neville doesn’t feel so tired anymore.


End file.
